Chapter 082

Hailey's POV I hastened upstairs, Mrs. Alora's concerned voice echoing behind me. "Hailey, where are you going!?" I didn't respond, my mind fixated on finding the purse. As I entered my room, I paused, trying to recall where I had last seen the bag. A sense of urgency washed over me, and I began searching every nook and cranny. I rummaged through my closet, wardrobe, and bathroom, but there was no sign of it. Just as I was about to give up, I spotted a leather handle peeking from beneath the bed. My heart skipped a beat as I fell to my knees to investigate. With a sigh of relief, I confirmed it was the purse I had been searching for. I pulled out my journal and flipped through the pages until I found the key. As I turned the page, the key slipped out, landing on the floor with a loud clang. I rushed downstairs, the key clutched in my hand. Without a word, I made my way to the front porch, where the mysterious box lay. Aiden intercepted me, his hands grasping mine. "Hailey, no!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with concern. "What are you doing?" he asked, his brow furrowed. I held up the key. "I want to see if this fits the lock," I explained. Aiden's expression turned quizzical. "How did you get that?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. "I found it in the bag the nurse gave me after I recovered from the coma," I replied. Aiden's face softened, and he nodded. "Okay, but wait here. Let me make sure it's safe. We still don't know what's inside." He gently took the box from the porch, his eyes locked on mine. I nodded, feeling a sense of trepidation wash over me. Aiden walked slowly to the box, his eyes fixed on the lock. He gestured for me to bring the key, which I did, my hand trembling slightly. Aiden tried the key for the first time, but it didn't fit. He tried again, his brow furrowed in concentration. Miraculously, the key slid into the lock, and Aiden hurriedly opened the box. Mrs. Alora and I exchanged quizzical glances as Aiden pulled out a small, sleek hard drive. "What is that?" Mrs. Alora asked, her voice laced with confusion. Aiden's eyes locked onto mine, and I could sense a mix of emotions: excitement, nervousness, and anticipation. "Let's go to my office and find out," he said, his voice low and mysterious. We followed Aiden to his home office, the tension building with each step. Aiden inserted the hard drive into the computer and clicked through a few files. Suddenly, a video popped up on the screen, and Aiden's father's face appeared. We all shared a puzzled look, and Aiden's hands trembled as he pressed the play icon. The room fell silent, except for the sound of Aiden's father's voice, which sent shivers down my spine. "What is this?" Mrs. Alora whispered, her eyes fixed on the screen. Aiden's eyes were glued to the video, his face pale. "I don't know," he whispered back, "but I think we're about to find out." "Hey there, son," Aiden's dad said, his voice low and gravelly, sending a shiver down my spine. Aiden's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in anger. Mrs. Alora's eyes welled up with tears, her face pale. "I know by the time you see this, it will be too late," he continued, "so I ask that you don't bother looking for me." We exchanged puzzled glances. What did he mean? Where was he? "I know you're wondering what's going on," he said, his eyes seeming to bore into our souls, "and why a mysterious box shows up at the front porch with Hailey having the key." I felt a chill run down my spine. How did he know all this? "Wondering how I know?" he asked, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Don't worry, dear. I know more than you could imagine." Aiden's dad took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm making this video to apologize to each and every one of you. Aiden, son, I know you're angry and bitter because of the pain I've caused you and your mother." Aiden's face twisted in anguish, his eyes brimming with tears. "But I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me," his dad said, his voice laced with remorse. "The death of your sisters wasn't intentional. It was all just part of the game." Mrs. Alora's eyes overflowed with tears, her body shaking with sobs. Aiden's face hardened, his jaw clenched in anger. "And to my wife, Alora," his dad said, his voice softening, "I'm so sorry. I know I haven't been the husband you deserve, but you've stayed with me despite everything." Mrs. Alora's eyes locked onto the screen, her face etched with pain and sadness. "'Mamacita,'" Aiden's dad said, a smile spreading across his face. Mrs. Alora's eyes welled up with tears again, her body shaking with sobs. "Hailey, dear," Aiden's dad said, his eyes seeming to bore into my soul, "I'm sorry for your dad, your mom, your stepfamily. I'm sorry for everything." My eyes welled up with hot tears, my body shaking with sobs. It was true. Aiden's dad was behind it all. But his next words made me pause. "Your dad and I were really good friends, but our friendship didn't involve your mom. She just had to go because in my world, there are rules, and those rules must be obeyed." I felt a chill run down my spine as I processed the video's revelations. How could someone be so cruel, so heartless, as to call the lives of lost loved ones "part of the game"? I had been hoping against hope that my suspicions were wrong, but now I had all the proof I needed. My gaze darted to Aiden, who quickly stood up to intercept me. I yanked my hands out of his, my body boiling with rage. "Get off me, Aiden!" I spat, my voice venomous. "Hailey, please," Aiden begged, his eyes pleading. I raised an eyebrow in disgust. "You still have the guts to plead after what we just heard? Your dad just confessed to the murder of my family, including my stepsister, and you're here begging on his behalf?" Aiden's face contorted in anguish. "Hailey, please, I'm not pleading on anyone's behalf. I'm pleading for myself, for our baby, for our family. Let me fix this." I laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "There's nothing to fix, Aiden. It's over. Your dad made me an orphan; he's the cause of all my suffering. I can't bear to be with the son of a killer." Mrs. Alora's voice cut through the tension, her words like a slap in the face. "Zac's no killer!" she exclaimed, tears streaming down her face. I stared at her, incredulous. "What?! How could you say that, Mom, even after the video?" Mrs. Alora's eyes locked onto mine, her voice firm. "I've known Zac for forty years, Hailey. I know what I'm saying. Zac may be many things, but he's not a killer." Aiden's eyes flicked to the computer, and Mrs. Alora gestured for him to take a closer look. "Son, come see this." Aiden walked over to the computer, his eyes scanning the screen. Mrs. Alora continued, "If you look closely, you'll see that this video has been tampered with. And it's not a recent video; your father's weight isn't the same as it is now. Zac's been stressing himself to get to the bottom of all this for months, and he's lost a lot of weight. I moved closer to Mrs. Alora, my eyes scanning the computer screen for any signs of tampering. "Something's not right, Aiden, and I don't feel good about it," she added, her brow furrowed with concern. Aiden remained quiet, his eyes fixed on the screen as he transferred the video to his phone. "I'm going to send it to someone to check and see if we can find any evidence of tampering," he finally spoke up. Mrs. Alora nodded, her eyes never leaving the screen. "But how could you figure this out, Mom?" Aiden asked, his voice filled with curiosity. Mrs. Alora fast-forwarded the video to the end, playing the last few seconds. Aiden's dad's voice echoed through the speakers, "Goodbye, son. Revisa los detalles." Aiden's eyes snapped to his mom's, and they shared a knowing glance. I stood there, feeling confused and left out. Aiden turned to me, his eyes pleading. "Mom might be right, Hailey. My dad's last words were in Spanish, and it means 'Review the details.' Those were the words he always used for me as a kid whenever we played chess together or did something that required critical thinking." Aiden's voice was filled with desperation. "We might really be missing something, Hailey. Please, just give me one last chance." But before I could respond, a familiar voice echoed from behind me. "Oh no, I'm so sorry, my love. You're out of chances." I turned to see Ava standing in the doorway, a wicked grin spreading across her face as she held sleeping Damien in her arms.